A Wonderful Gift

This is one of the best gifts I have ever been given. Our Sales Specialist in Indiana is always talking to me about gardening. His father is a great gardener so we are always exchanging stories. Dave told me about this couple that made these trowels and I was very interested. So he bought me one and I love it. It is by far one of the best tools I have ever had. So sturdy and sharp, perfect for transplanting, weeding and digging. It is amazing. Please contact these people, they call this a Deep Digger.

Brewer Design Ser. Inc.
1-317-392-1751
www.flags-poles.com

THIS TOOL IS THE BEST!!!!!!!







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Working Hard

So I am working on a major Strawberry Project but at the same time getting so much done as far as harvesting and preserving. Wow I have made enough tomato juice for a year and fresh barbecue sauce for dinner.

Anyway, just a pause in the action. What about frog legs? I have been seeing so many baby frogs and toads in the garden.



He was sitting on the grill... Asking for it?????

I love doing mini blogs. Maybe I need to learn how to tweet.

More tomatoes.

So I thought I was done with the masses of tomatoes. No way. So I have made two special recipes.


Zucchini Provençal and Fresh Tomato Juice.


Both were excellent and provided great food for my healing husband.
Zucchini Provençal

1 to 2 Tablespoons olive oil
2 to 3 green onions chopped
1 clove garlic finely chopped
4 to 5 smallish zucchini sliced
2 ripe tomatoes, peeled, seeded and chopped
1 TBLS chopped fresh parsley
1 TBLS chopped fresh oregano
1 TBLS chopped fresh basil

1 to 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

Sauté onion and garlic in olive oil, but do not brown. Add sliced zucchini and stir fry with a wooden spoon only under tender crisp. DO NOT OVERCOOK. Add chopped tomatoes and stir a minute or so. Turn off the heat. Sprinkle cheese over the top and let sit until it melts. Serve from the skillet. Messy, gooey goodness. Secret: Do not over cook.

I need to work on tomato juice recipe. Randy said it is too spicy.

Check it out

I just finished a blog about yesterdays project of dividing my iris!!   Check it out on my State by State Gardening Blog. Don't you like my helper? He would have been happier if I had been dividing catnip!

http://statebystategardening.com/state.php/ky/blog_01/past_time_to_divide_my_iris/

What a Month

This has been a wild month. I have been in and out of hospitals caring for a sick husband( He is now on the mend). Writing articles and giving speeches, plus trying to maintain the gardens and harvest the prizes of my labors. I am afraid my blog has suffered.




I took in several bunches of flowers for the great nurses at Jewish Hospital downtown Louisville.


Today I am trying to again plant kale and other fall crops. I did this once and lost them all to MR Rabbit. So I have found a safe product that is suppose to keep the critters at bay. The marigolds have just been eaten. So we will see.


I hardly ever use any Chemicals even environmentally safe ones such as this one. But it is not going on any plants just a barrier on the ground around the garden. So I will know tomorrow. Stay tuned.

Next step

So next I used the cut rosemary as a rack for my roast. It is now cooking in the oven and I smell the heavenly rosemary.


It is cooking for four hours. Then will be used tomorrow. Now I have moved on to using some of the basil. So I am making Roasted Tomato Soup. I have cut a variety of Tomatoes into quarters and added 6 smashed garlic cloves, a large shallot sliced and then sea salt and pepper and then some olive oil. I am roasting all of this for about 30 minutes.


Flash forward to Sunday. The soup is ready !!! It is great.

21/2 pounds fresh tomatoes
6 clove garlics, peeled
2 small yellow onions sliced
1/2 cup Extra-Virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper freshly ground.
1 quart chicken stock
2 bay leaves
4 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup chopped fresh basil
3/4 cup heavy cream.

Wash and core the tomatoes into halves. Spread the tomatoes, garlic, and onions onto the baking sheet . Drizzle with 1/2 cup olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast for 30 minutes.

Transfer the tomatoes and opinions to a stock pot.Add 3/4 of the chicken stock, bay leaves, and butter. Bring to boil, reduce heat and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes or until the liquid has reduced by a third

Wash and dry basil leaves and add to the pot. Use an immersion blender to purée until smooth. return to low heat and add cream and chicken broth until desired consistency.Garnish with salt and pepper.

This soup is delicious. And best thing I used a bunch of tomatoes.

Saturday

So I have a long list of things to accomplish to today. I have to take a deep breathe and accomplish things one by one.

So I have unloads the jeep from last nights talk. I have taken the spent herbs to the compost pile. Then actually looked at what I had and journeyed to the store.

Last year I did not make enough Opal Basil Vinegar. So task number 1. I used all the dark basil I had taken to the talk and I am making Opal Basil Vinegar. I brought a jug of white vinegar up to a boil, but not to boiling. Then I stuffed the plastic container full of opal basil and then add the hot vinegar. I capped it and will let it sit for about 6 weeks. Then I will strain and put into decorative bottles with a beautiful seed head in the bottle

This makes an amazing vinegar.


This is a great recipe I use this vinegar in.

Broccoli and cauliflower salad

1 head cauliflower
1 bunch broccoli
2 stalks celery cut into small pieces
1 cup sugar
2 TBLS poppy seeds
1 tsp salt
2 tsp dried mustard
1 onion finely chopped
1/2 cup opal basil vinegar
1 1/4 cup oil

Break vegetables into bites size pieces. Add celery. mix together all the rest of the ingredients and add to the veggies. refrigerate for at least 3 hours. Then ENJOY.